


Air

by in_motu_proprio



Category: The Blacklist (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-13
Updated: 2015-11-13
Packaged: 2018-05-01 12:21:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5205698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/in_motu_proprio/pseuds/in_motu_proprio
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written right after the season opener.  Just a little glimpse into what kind of hell it might have been for Red to be that close to Lizzie all that time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Air

Raymond could hear her. Lizzie was having a nightmare as she lay across their narrow shipping container in her bed. They’d decided to stay close considering the situation, and that included him sitting awake near the still-open doors as she slept. He didn’t get a lot of sleep. How could he? “Red.” He turned his head, seeing that she was still asleep, just murmuring and groaning. He considered going over to her a couple of times, but now that she’d actually said his name, Raymond felt like he had no choice. He put down his drink and padded over in stockinged feet. As he reached out to gently touch her arm, Lizzie let out a sound that showed she was clearly _not_ in distress. His brow rose as her hips did, knocking the blanket down. 

Her shirt had ridden up, revealing that long, lean stomach to him. Raymond’s fingers twitched because all he wanted to do was reach out and touch. “Red…” She was breathing a little harder, biting her bottom lip with a whimper. The quality of her voice held him there, feet glued to the spot as Lizzie’s thighs clenched and released. He couldn’t see it, but the rustling of the sheets told him that she was rubbing her thighs together. Lizzie’s fingers twitched in her sleep, reaching. Maybe she was touching him in her dream. There was nothing else her body language could be saying. Every little sound, every caught breath or rustle of the sheets, electrified his skin. The light was dim in here, but he could still see the outline of her breasts clearly through her thin tank top. 

Lizzie was stunning even like this, even blond. He longed to touch her, but instead took the coward’s way out and stood there experiencing her dream by proxy as she let out little huffs of air. He had no clue what he was doing to her in her sleep, but Lizzie seemed to be enjoying it immensely. She shifted again, her hand moving to her bare stomach as her body settled back in. Her hips moved and shifted, pushing the blanket down even more. Raymond was fully aware that he ought to step outside and give her some privacy. And yet he was riveted. Her fingertips twitched, moving down to stroke her own skin and moan his name again. It was taking every ounce of self-control to stop him from moving her hand aside and using his own. 

She let out a noise and rolled over, flipping onto her stomach and grumbling something a little annoyed in her sleep. He stayed frozen, letting her fall back asleep more fully before he left. He was three steps away when she called his name again. This time when he turned his head to look, he was caught in pale blue eyes. _damnit_. “Going for another drink,” he told her, but Lizzie reached out. Damn her for reaching out. Her fingers caught his and gave him a little tug. “Lizzie.” He tried to use a stern tone, but her fingertips crept up to the inside of his wrist. He’d rolled his sleeves up, so she could touch his forearm up to the crook of his elbow. “Go back to sleep.” Even as he spoke, he could hear the strain in his own voice. 

“Come lay with me.” Her request hurt. How could her asking something so simple cause physical pain? Maybe he was finally having the heart attack all that brie and red meat had been promising all these years. She was sitting up, long legs swinging over the side of the bed to reveal that she’d pulled her pants off before she got under the blankets. Raymond had dreamt of those legs, of what they’d feel like wrapped around his ears and how she’d feel against his lips. “Red?” She cocked her head to the side and her hair fell across her eyes. He reached out to brush it behind her ear, cupping her face in his palm with a sad shake of his head. He could not cross that line. He wanted to, God did he want to. 

Lizzie didn’t stop, though. She stood, not taking his shake of the head for an answer. The breeze worked its way around them from the still open door and Raymond could see her nipples hardening under her shirt. This woman was going to be the death of him in every imaginable way. “Go back to sleep, Lizzie.” Raymond forced himself to pull back, putting two large steps between them as he turned to find his drink. God he needed a damn drink. Raymond was just about there when he felt the pressure of her hand through the sleeve of his shirt. Her fingers curled around his bicep and pulled, clearly wanting him to turn. “Lizzie.” His voice was ripe with bass tones he wrapped around her name, clearly exemplifying just how difficult this was for him. 

“Red.” Her voice was sure, and it pulled at him. He turned to look at her finally, deciding to meet her eyes instead of attempting to play things coy. There was no point. She gave him that playful edge of a smile at his boldness, her fingers reaching up to stroke down his jaw. “I thought you were going to follow me.” _My North Star_ , his own words echoed in his mind. 

“I hardly think that….” Lizzie’s fingertip brushed his bottom lip and Raymond pulled back. “I’m going for a walk.” He needed to. Even if it would make things more awkward in the long run, in the short run Raymond did not trust himself. She let her fingers drop, pressing her palm to his chest and he closed his eyes in reflex. The pressure, the spot she picked, everything was meant to soothe and it did. Perhaps a little too much because him letting his eyes slip shut gave her the chance to step in closer. He could feel her warmth against his bare forearms. He wasn’t touching her, rather standing still as a statue with only his fingers twitching, wanting to touch those creamy bare thighs right in front of him. “Lizzie, please.” He was holding himself together with twine and a prayer and now she was pulling at the twine. 

“I’m not a child.” 

“I’m well aware,” he told her, eyes finally opening. Her lips were parted, the small breaths she took tickling his neck as she breathed. She was waiting for him to say more, but he couldn’t. Hell, he could barely breathe let alone put together an actual thought. 

“I’m only going to ask you this one more time, Red.” Lizzie’s fingertips brushed his bottom lip as she leaned in to whisper in his ear. She was keeping her body back just enough that he could feel her heat but wasn’t actually getting to touch her. His hands stayed still at his sides as she finally spoke. “Come lay with me.” Lizzie’s lips closed around his earlobe as she finally closed the gap, pressing herself into him. Her lips slid down his throat as those nimble fingers played at the top button of the vest. Raymond’s hands finally moved, touching her hip.

****************************************************************************

Raymond woke with a start, sitting up with a little gasp. “You ok?” 

It was her. He nodded, forced himself to relax back into his chair. He had to orient himself. Raymond took a couple of deep breaths and glanced over at her where she was reclining on the couch. “Fine.” Even as he spoke, he knew she heard it for the lie it was. But this Lizzie, the real Lizzie, didn’t push it. She just let him get up and head for the doors that lead out onto the deck. “Bad dream,” he amended and she seemed to relax. “I just need a little air.”


End file.
